Feeding mechanism



y 1939- M. J. MILMOE 2,158,335

FEEDING MECHANISM Original Filed June 13, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR.

M chaeL d-M'ltmoe BY 7 W .4 TORNEYS.

Patented 16, 1939 VUNITED' STATES FEEDING MECHANISM Michael J. Milmoe,Glen Ellyn, Ill., assignor to F. B. Redington 00., Chicago, 111., acorpora-- tion of Illinois Original application June 13, 1932; SerialNo.

Divided and this application April 5, 1937, Serial No. 185,085

5 Claims. (Cl. 271-29) This invention relates to a sheet feedinmechanism particularly adapted for use with packaging machines and likedevices.

It is an object of the invention to provide a 5 feeding device,particularly for cartons, paper sheets and the like, of the fluidsuction type which is inexpensive to construct and which is reliable andpositive in operation. Further objects are to provide a sheet feedingdevice which will positively remove the sheets in order from a hopper orlike storage receptacle and accurately position them at a selected pointof delivery; and to provide a sheet feeding device of the fluid suctiontype wherein the fluid suction is oper- I ated in accurately timedrelationship with the movements of the feeding mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide ready means for reversingthe fluid flow through the feeding mechanism whereby to clean the partsor release asheet held by the device as the occasion may require.

Other objects of this invention will .appear hereinafter as thedescription of this invention proceeds, the novel features,arrangements, and

combinations being set forth in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a packaging machine embodying thefeeding mechanism of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the machine shown in Fig. 1 takensubstantially along the line 2-2 thereof.

Fig. 3 is avertical cross section through the valve which controls thevacuum holder.

Fig. 4 is a cross section showing the manner in which the vacuum holderoperates to strip the carton from the bottom of a stack of cartons in ahopper.

Fig. 5 is a cross section showing the vacuum holder in the position ofdelivery and the mechanism which feeds the carton from the vacuum holderto a packaging position, and

Figs. 6 and 7 are cross sections showing different positions of a valveprovided in the vacuum line to the vacuum holder.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 616,857,filed June 13, 1932. In the drawings the feeding mechanism of thepresent invention is shown embodied in a packaging machine as themechanism is particularly adapted for use in such devices. However, itis to be understood that the invention is equally a applicable to othertypes of machines and to devices generally employing sheet or likefeeding means.

The machine illustrated in the drawings comprises a chain conveyorhaving a series of pockets 54 upon which articles to be packaged, such 5as indicated at 55 in Fig. 5, may be loaded in any desired manner. Thechain conveyor is driven by means of a worm wheel 56 which meshes with aworm 51 secured to the shaft 58. The shaft 58 is in turn driven by achain 58 10 connected by means of mechanism 60 to the main drive shaft66 of the machine. The main drive shaft 66 has a pulley 61 thereon whichmay be driven in any suitable manner as by a belt from a motor. The maindrive shaft also drives 15 a shaft 81, Fig. 2, by means of a chain 88.The function of this shaft will be later described.

The cartons 89 are stacked in a hopper 90 provided at the bottom thereofwith projecting fingers 9I which normally support the cartons go attheir edges. The ends which are supported are those which have the flapsand therefore if a carton is pulled downwardly, the flaps givesufliciently to permit the carton to be withdrawn from the hopper. Themeans for withdrawing 5 the cartons is preferably a vacuum means inwhich a vacuum is periodically created and relieved as the cartons arewithdrawn and fed between a pair of "squaring rollers. In Fig. 4, itwill be noted that the withdrawing means com- 30 prises a suction head92 having a passage 93 there-through communicating with a vacuum chamber94 by means of a flexible tube 95 and a valve 96. The valve 96 isrecessed at 91 and a spring pressed plunger 98 rides in the recess 359'! and limits the upward and downward movement of the valve 96. A port99 in the form of a bore extending transversely through the valve 96 isadapted to form means whereby communication. is established between thevacuum cham- 40 her 94 and the passage 93. An exhaust port I00 is alsoprovided in the valve 96 and is periodically brought into a position incommunication with the flexible tube 95 so as to permit the air to rushin and relieve the vacuum in the pas- 45 sage 93.

The suction head 92 is carried on the end of an arm IOI pivoted at I02and rocked about the pivot I02 by a crank I03 and link I04 connectedrespectively with the crank I03 and arm IN. 50 The arm IOI carries astop member I95 which operates within a recess I06 in the upper end ofthe valve 96, and as it alternately comes into engagement with the endsof the recess, it moves the valve in the direction of its length. In the55 position shown in Fig. 4, the port 03 causes a communicationbetween'the vacuum chamber 94 and suction head 92 so that thesuction-head which is in engagement with the lower-most carton in thestack and has raised the complete stack slightly oil! the projections 8iwill grip the carton and as the crank I03 continues its'movement willwithdraw the carton from the stack and move the same into a positionbetween the rollers I01 and I08.

The crank I03 is on the end. of the shaft 81, previously described.After the suction head has placed a carton between the rollers I01 andI08 in the position shown in Fig. 5, the suction is relieved within thesuction head by means of the port I which by this time has been movedinto communication with the flexible tubing 95 by the stop I which hasengaged the lower-most end of the recess I06 and moved the valve toposition the port I00 in its proper position. As the rollers feed thecartons to the left from the full line position to thedotted lineposition shown in that figure, the suction head 92 remains in a positionbelow that shown in Fig. 5, or at least until the carton has been movedclear of the suction head, whereafter it is again moved upwardly intoengagement with the next carton which is to be withdrawn from the stack.

The vacuum pump for creating, a vacuum in the chamber 94 is shownparticularly in Figs. 1 and 2 and is indicated by the referencecharacter I09. This vacuum pump is operated by achain IIO from the maindrive shaft 68. The chamber 94 is connected by a flexible tube III toone arm of a cross II2. Two arms of the cross are connected to the pipesH3 and H4 leading from the pump, and the other arm of the cross has ashort length of pipe'II5 connected thereto and is in communication withthe atmosphere. The pipe II3, I shall indicate as the intake, and H4 asthe exhaust. In other words, the air is circulating through the pipes H3and H4 in the direction illustrated by the arrows in Fig. 2. The crossII2 has a valve II6 therein provided with the ports Ill and H8. Withthese ports arranged in the manner illustrated in Fig. '7, the air isbeing drawn through the conduit III into the pipe H3 and out of theexhaust II5 through the pipe 4 and port II8. If a carton sticks to thesuction head or for any other reason it is desired to blow out thesuction head, it is only necessary to reverse the position of the valveI I6 so that it occupies the position-shown in Fig. 6. In this positionof the valve, the air is drawn in from the surrounding atmosphere andforced into the chamber 94 whereby the air is forced out of the suctionhead instead of drawn in to the suction head. In this manner the suctionhead can be easily cleared of lint and cartons released from the suctionhead if the same adhere thereto.

The rollers I01 and I08 to which the carton is delivered by the suctionhead, have means for squaring the carton as it is drawn between therollers. This squaring mechanism forms no part of the inventionherein'disclosed and accordingly will not be described in detail. Therollers are driven by means of gearing I25 operated by a sprocket I26.This sprocket is operated by a chain I21, Fig. 1, driven from shaft I28which is in turn operated by the beveled gearing I29, I30 actuated fromthe main drive shaft 86.

From the squaring rollers I01, I08 the carton is delivered to a pair offeeding rollers I32, Fig.5, driven by gearing I33, Fig. 2, operated bythe chain 88. The feeding rollers move the carton about the article I!whereby to package the same. Thereafter the carton flaps are tucked intoproper position by suitable mechanism forming no part of this invention.

In operation the cartons are stacked in the hopper. manually or by othersuitable means. being held therein by the fingers 9|. As the crank I03is rotated during operation of the machine, the arm IN is movedalternately from the withdrawal position of Fig. 4 to the deliveryposition of Fig. 5 whereby to remove cartons from the hopper one at atime. The positive withdrawal of the cartons and the accuratepositioning of them at the delivery position is insured by thecontrolled operation of the suction mechanism. As the arm IOI is broughtinto the position of Fig. 4, the stop I05 operates the valve 88 to applythe suction of chamber 94 to the suction head. The carton is thuspositively withdrawn from the hopper and accurately held in positionduring the lowering of the arm IOI. When the arm IOI reaches itsdelivery position, as shown in Fig. 5, the stop I05 operates valve 86 torelease the fluid suction by communicating the suction head with theatmosphere. This permits the ready withdrawal of the carton from thesuction head 92 by the squaring rollers I01 and I08. These rollerssquare the carton and deliver it to the feeding rollers I32 which inturn feed it around the article 55 on the conveyor 54.

When it is desired to clean the suction head or to release a carton heldthereon for any purpose, it is merely necessary to manipulate the valveI I6 to reverse the fluid flow. By this means air may be blown outwardlythrough the suction .head to clean it of all lint, dirt or collectedforeign matter. This ready cleaning means is of distinct advantage indevices of the type described and insures proper operation of thesuction feeding mechanism.

It is to be understood that the construction- 4 appended claims.

Having thus fullydescribed my invention, what I claim as new and desireto obtain by Letters Patent is:

1. A feeding mechanism comprising a suction member movable alternatelyfrom a position adjacent a source of supply to a position of delivery,suction means for applying suction to said member, means for controllingsaid suction applying means, and means movable with the suction memberfor operating said controlling means whereby the suction is applied tothe member as the same is moved to the position adjacent the source ofsupply and released therefrom as the member is moved to the position ofdelivery.

2. A feeding mechanism comprising a suction head movable alternatelyfrom a position ad- Jacent a source of supply to a position of delivery,a vacuum chamber. valve means for connecting the suction head either tothe valve chamber or to atmosphere, and means movable with the suctionhead for controlling said valve means.

3. A feeding mechanism comprising a pivoted suction head movablealternately from a position adjacent the source of suply to a positionof delivery, a vacuum chamber, valve means for connecting the vacuumchamber to the suction head when the head is in position adjacent thesource of supply and for connecting the suction head to atmosphere whenthe head is in a position of delivery, and abutment means carried by.

4. A feeding mechanism comprising a suction head movable alternatelyfrom a position adjacent a source of supply to a position of delivery,

suction means for withdrawing fluid from the and means manually operableat will independently of the position of the suction head for reversingthe fluid flow.

5. A sheet feeding mechanism comprising a. suction head movable from aposition adjacent the source of supply to a position of delivery, a.fluid forcing means having a suction intake side and a pressuredischarge side, a pair of conduits connected to the intake and dischargesides of said fluid forcing means, a conduit connected to said suctionhead, a conduit adapted to be connected to a source of fluid at a givenabsolute pressure, and a multi-way valve interconnecting said conduitsfor selectively connecting the suction intake side of said fluid forcingmeans to said suction head and said pressure discharge side of saidfluid forcing means to said source of fluid or said suction intake sideof said fluid forcing means to the source of the fluid and the pressuredischarge side of said fluid forcing means to said suction head.

MICHAEL J. MILMOE.

